Ideological attacks on marriage and family, sects, poverty, among challenges for Church in Americas, says Pope

Vatican City, Nov 5, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Pope John Paul II, during a meeting this morning of the ninth post-synodal council of the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops for the Special Assembly for America, listed various challenges that are at the forefront of the Church’s concern in the Americas.

The Pope mentioned "the nefarious actions of sects, the sale and use of drugs; modern ideologies that believe that the concept of the family founded on marriage is outdated; the growing divide between the rich and poor; human rights violations; migration movements and the complex problem of foreign debt," as core problems to be faced by the bishops in the coming years.

The Holy Father also mentioned the "culture of death, which is expressed in many ways, such as the arms race" and "the unleashed violence of guerrilla warfare and international terrorism."